Music-leaf turner.



D. J. GRIFFITH.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1914.

1 1 8 1,5 9 1 Patented May 2, 1916.

7 w vtrnaooao Z7 0 UNITED STArEsrarENT OFFICE.

DAVID J. GRIFFITH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Application filed October 26, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID J. GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in music leaf turners.

One object of the invention is to provide a pedal operated music leaf turner wherein successive movement of the pedal in one direction will operate the mechanism to turn a plurality of leaf turning arms, successively.

Another object is to provide a device which will insure the proper positioning of the leaf turning arms in both limits of their movements.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention as applied to a piano, a portion of the music rest of the piano being broken away, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, portions of the piano being shown in section, Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line of Fig. 1 and Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rack plate and one of the leaf turning arms. 7

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents the music rack or shelf of the piano secured to the outer face of the upper edge of the rack 10 and has secured thereto the brackets 11 in which are pivotally mounted a plurality of super posed leaf turning arms 12, the outer ends of which are provided with leaf gripping clips 12. The inner or pivotal end of each of the arms has a head 13 which is approximately semi-circular and carried by each end of the head is a resilient arm 14: having mounted in the outer end thereof a roller 15. Formed on the head concentrically with the opening which receives the pivot thereof are the gear teeth 16-. Back of the bracket 11 is formed an elongated opening 17, and mounted to slide in the brackets 17 at the rear of this opening is a plate 18. This Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Serial No. 868,755.

plate is formed with a plurality of rack toothed sections 19 disposed in different longitudinal lines on the plate and in suecessively advanced positions with respect to each other. At each end of each of the toothed sections is formed a depression 20 which receives one of the resilient arms 11 and roller 15 as will appear more fully hereinafter. Each of the toothed sections is arranged to engage the toothed portions 16 of one of the arms 12. In the lower front board 21 of the piano, and in the lower end thereof is formed an opening 22 through which projects a pivoted pedal 23. Pivotally connected to this pedal is a vertically extending rod 2 1 which terminates a short distance above the ledge of the music rack 10 where it is pivotally connected with one arm of a bell crank lever 25 pivotally mounted on the rear of the music rack 10. To the upper end of the other arm is pivotally connected a link 26 which has its opposite end pivotally connected with the plate 18. It will be noted that the plate 18 is formed of a plurality of long narrow strips of metal which are secured together as shown at 27 The music is rested on the music shelf of the piano and the upper outer corners of the leaves to be turned are secured to the clips 12, it being of course understood that all of the arms 12 are in a position to the right while the plate 18 is in the extreme limit of its movement to the left. By depressing the pedal 23 motion will be communicated to the plate 18 through the rod 24: and bell crank 25 so that said plate will be shifted to the right a sufficient distance for the upper foremost toothed section 19 to engage the teeth of the uppermost arm 12, the further movement of said plate causing the arm to swing on its pivot into the eX- treme left hand position, turning the leaf with it. One of the roller arms 11 is disposed in the right hand depression 20 of the upper foremost toothed section 19, and when the plate 18 moves forwardly this arm will. be rocked out of this depression and by the completion of the turning of the said arm the other resilient arm 14 will engage in the depression at the other end of the toothed section. When the pedal 23 is depressed the second time the plate 18 advances so that its second toothed section engages the teeth of the second arm 12. The last-named roller arm 14 of the first arm 12 will have ridden out of the left hand depression so that the roller will engage on the face of the plate. This engagement forces the arm 12 flat against the music shelf, to the left of its pivot as will be readily seen. The same movements take place with each of the other arms 12 as the plate 18 is further moved to the right, in this step by step fashion, until all of the arms have been moved to the left hand position. To return all of the arms to initial position the toe of the shoe of the player is placed under the outer end of the pedal and the pedal raised. This will successively engage the toothed sections of the plate 18 with the toothed portions of the arms so that the arms will be successively moved back to their starting positions.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. A music leaf turner for attachment to a music rest comprising a plurality of leaf turning arms, each of the arms having a. segmental pinion, a longitudinal slidable rack plate engaging with the pinions of the arms, said plate having depressions, and means carried by the arms for engagement in the depressions to guide the rack plate into engagement with the pinions, and for engagement with the face of the rack plate for rocking the arms flatly against the music rest.

2. A music leat turner comprising a plurality of pivoted leaf turning arms, the pivotal ends of said arms being formed with segmental pinions, resilient roller carrying members mountedv on the arms at opposite ends of the pinions, a plate slidably disposed adjacent the pivotal ends of the arms. said plate being formed with a plurality of rack sections, the plate having depressions at the ends of the rack sections for the re ception of the said resilient roller carrying means, as the arms are rocked on their pivots, and means 'for sliding the plate to engage the rack sections successively with the pinions of the arms, and the roller carrying means out of the depressions as the plate is shifted, to rock the arm in positions flatlyagainst the music rest.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signaturc, 1n the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID J. GRIFFITH.

lVitnesses MALCOLM JonN VIoKnnY, R. Ross BLoon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for he cents each, by addressing the Commiuionet of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

